Skip main navigation

Military Health System

Clear Your Cache

Health.mil has undergone a recent update. For the best user experience we recommend clearing your browser cache.

Lung Cancer Leading Cause of Cancer Death

Image of  U.S Navy MRI technologist behind a computer screen with a magnetic resonance machine in the background. U.S. Naval Medical Center San Diego’s medical providers conduct a lung cancer screening. With November being Lung Cancer Awareness Month, be aware of symptoms, causes and steps to take if you think you need screening. (U.S. Navy Seaman Apprentice Harley Sarmiento, Naval Medical Center San Diego)

Despite reduction in numbers in recent years, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.

Each year, an average of 218,500 people are diagnosed with lung cancer, and about 142,000 people die from the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Though different people have different symptoms for lung cancer, most people with lung cancer don't have symptoms until the cancer is advanced, according to the CDC.

Observed annually in November, Lung Cancer Awareness Month draws attention to the disease to increase awareness of causes and symptoms of lung cancer and steps to take if you think you need to be screened.

The three leading causes of lung cancer are cigarette smoking, exposure to second-hand smoke, and exposure to radon, according to the National Institutes of Health, with 90 % of lung cancer deaths caused by smoking and the use of tobacco products.

Along with the above leading causes, previous exposure to any kind of radiation, exposure to asbestos, and family history should all be taken seriously.

Smoking, along with exposure to other causes, increases the risk of lung cancer, according to U.S. Army Major (Dr.) Mateo Houle, a pulmonologist at the Brooke Army Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

Despite this, lung cancer is often preventable because it is often related to behavioral choices. "Smoking is the single greatest risk factor to develop lung cancer," said Houle. "It is possible to develop lung cancer from exposure to radon or other environmental factors, but these are far less common."

Some warfighters work in locations where there may be hazardous chemicals that can possibly cause cancer. If you have concerns, Houle said, the first step should be consulting a supervisor. If there is a question, all work locations should have Material Safety Data Sheets that can be consulted.

"The MSDS is a manual that shows all the chemicals used in the workplace and their known effects following exposure. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulates workplace exposures/chemicals and safety," Houle said.

Unlike some cancers, most symptoms of lung cancer are not discovered until the cancer is advanced. "Unfortunately, there are no signs of lung cancer in the early stages," said Houle.

Despite there being no obvious early signs, there are symptoms one can watch for according to the NIH.

Possible Signs of Lung Cancer

  • A new cough that won't go away
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest pain
  • Hoarseness
  • Losing weight (without trying)
  • Coughing up blood

Screening for Lung Cancer

"There may be appropriate screenings available to catch cancer at an early, curative stage," said Houle. Lung cancer screening is recommended only for adults who have no symptoms but who are at high risk for developing the disease because of their smoking history and age.

"We have a lung cancer screening program, and at BAMC we have a specific lung cancer screening clinic where we offer education and same day CT lung cancer screening for those who are referred here," said Houle. "We then evaluate each case of new diagnosis of lung cancer in a multidisciplinary team, once per week. We also have a smoking cessation program at BAMC which has nursing and behavioral health embedded in the clinic."

Even though lung cancer can be hard to cure, early detection can lower the risk of dying from this disease. TRICARE will cover an annual low-dose computed tomography screenings for lung cancer if the beneficiary is between 50- to 80-years-old and has a 20-pack per-year history of smoking, is currently smoking or has quit within the past 15 years.

Lung cancer screening is not without risks. That is why lung cancer screening is recommended only for adults who are at high risk for developing the disease because of their smoking history and age.

Lung Cancer Prevention

Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done to prevent lung cancer, but there are steps you can take to minimize your risk.

  • Stop smoking, or don't start.
  • Avoid secondhand smoke, and don't smoke around others.
  • Test your home for radon and asbestos (if appropriate).
  • Take safety precautions at work if you're around toxic chemicals or carcinogens.
  • Examine your diet and exercise.

You also may be interested in...

Policy
Sep 11, 2015

Instruction: #DODI 6490.13, Comprehensive Policy on Traumatic Brain Injury-Related Neurocognitive Assessments by the Military Services

This instruction establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and prescribes standard elements, pursuant to section 722 of Public Law 111-383, requiring the implementation of a comprehensive neurocognitive assessment policy in the military services.

  • Identification #: DODI 6490.13
  • Type: Instruction
Policy
Oct 31, 2014

Memorandum: Pre-Deployment, Deployment, and Post-Deployment Training, Screening, and Monitoring Guidance for Department of Defense Personnel Deployed to Ebola Outbreak Areas

.PDF | 8.96 MB

Department of Defense personnel (Service members and civilian employees)deployed to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defined Ebola outbreak areas will complete pre and post-deployment screening and training requirements outlined in this memorandum and supplemented by United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM) guidance.

  • Identification #: N/A
  • Type: Memorandum
Policy
Oct 20, 2014

Memorandum: #13-006, Addendum to Guidance on the Establishment of Department of Defense Standardization for Ordering and Procurement of Hearing Devices Prostheses 13-006

.PDF | 94.68 KB

This memorandum clarifies procedures relating to Health Affairs' "Guidance on the Establishment of Department of Defense Standardization for Ordering and Procurement of Hearing Devices/Prosthesis," dated August 15, 2013, which remains in effect.

  • Identification #: 13-006
  • Type: Memorandum
Policy
Apr 28, 2014

Instruction: #DODI 1010.10, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

This instruction reissues DOD Directive 1010.10 (Reference (a)) as a DOD instruction (DoDI) in accordance with the authority in DODD 5124.02 (Reference (b)) to establish policy and assign responsibilities for health promotion and disease prevention in accordance with References (c) through (f).

  • Identification #: DODI 1010.10
  • Type: Instruction
Policy
Sep 18, 2012

Instruction: #DODI 6490.11, DOD Policy Guidance for Management of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury/Concussion in the Deployed Setting

This instruction establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and provides procedures on the management of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), also known as concussion, in the deployed setting.

  • Identification #: DODI 6490.11
  • Type: Instruction
Policy
Apr 20, 2012

Memorandum: Guideline for Tuberculosis Screening and Testing

.PDF | 119.55 KB

Because accessions come from widely diverse geographic backgrounds, the Services should determine the need for tuberculin skin tests for accessions while Service members are at the training base, based on the needs of the specific accessions environment and operational mission requirements. DOD will implement targeted testing rather than universal ...

  • Identification #: N/A
  • Type: Memorandum
Policy
May 11, 2011

Instruction: DCoE Clinical Recommendations Post Injury NCAT

.PDF | 252.30 KB

In accordance with Section 1673 of the NDAA HR 4986, signed into law in January of 2008, the Secretary of Defense was instructed to establish a protocol for the pre-deployment assessment and documentation of the cognitive functioning of Service Members deployed outside the United States. In advance of definitive evidence of superiority for any single ...

  • Identification #: N/A
  • Type: Instruction
Skip subpage navigation
Refine your search
Last Updated: February 25, 2025
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery